hierarchy

/ˌhaɪ(ə)ˈrɑrki/

/ˈhaɪəɑki/

Other forms: hierarchies

Hierarchy describes a system that organizes or ranks things, often according to power or importance. At school the principal is at the top of the staff hierarchy, while the seniors rule the student hierarchy.

Also known as a pecking order or power structure, a hierarchy is a formalized or simply implied understanding of who's on top or what's most important. All that sorting and ranking can be helpful if you're a business administrator, but if you find yourself arranging all the produce in your fridge according to a hierarchy of color, size, and expiration date, you might want to consider visiting a therapist.

Definitions of hierarchy

1. noun

   a series of ordered groupings of people or things within a system
   “put honesty first in her hierarchy of values”

   types:

   celestial hierarchy

   the collective body of angels

   data hierarchy

   an arrangement of data consisting of sets and subsets such that every subset of a set is of lower rank than the set

   taxonomy

   a classification of organisms into groups based on similarities of structure or origin etc

   type of:

   series

   similar things placed in order or happening one after another
2. noun

   the organization of people at different ranks in an administrative body
   synonyms: pecking order, power structure

   type of:

   organisation, organization

   a group of people who work together